Mÿvatn Things to Do

Lake Mývatn is Iceland's 4th largest lake and was created in a basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago and the surrounding landscape in the Mývatn area is extraordinary. There are so many wonderful lava formations in this area, including the lava pillars by and in Lake Mývatn.The lake is 36,5 km2, the depth is 3-3,3 meters and there are ca 40-50...

Dimmuborgir "The Dark Fortress" at Mývatn are a true wonder of nature and nowhere else to be seen in the world i.e on dry land. They are huge lava rock formations which make you feel like you stepped into another world - a world of fairy-tales. Dimmuborgir are 1 km in diameter with several walking paths - keep to the paths and follow the colour of...

While driving on ring-road 1 north of Mývatn I noticed a strange looking lava pillar by a hill protruding into the lake. We stopped and walked to the lava pillar and took some photos.It is strange looking in that it has a diamond like hat, which I haven´t seen on other lava pillars before. It is a good photo stop. The Mývatn area is just full of...

Vindbelgur is a mountain north of Lake Mývatn. The name Vindbelgur means a windbag and it has been jokingly said that people in this area are a bit full of themselves.Mt. Vindbelgur is a conical mountain 529 meters above sea level. I have read, not tried, that it takes half an hour to walk to the mountain and another half an hour to hike up on it....

Grjótagjá rift is one of the best known caves in Iceland. It is located on the North-Atlantic and Eurasian tectonic plates.Grjótagjá has got two entrances and steps leading down to it. It is half-full with hot water and people used to bathe in it, women on one side and men on the other side. During the eruption of Mt. Katla in 1975-1984, which is...

The Mývatn Naturebaths are sometimes called the Blue lagoon of the north. They are an excellent choice for relaxation after a day of visiting all the interesting sights in Mývatn area. They opened in 2004 so they are quite new. The geothermal water in the Naturebaths is drawn from depths of upto 2500 meters from boreholes in Bjarnarflag and is rich...

Reykjahlíðakirkja - The Church at Reykjahlíð in Mývatn is a lovely church. I stayed at the campsite very close to the church and when the "mý" midge was starting to get on my nerves I sought refuge in the church - which fortunately was open. It was so peaceful, dusk, and the lights in the church were turned out and only the altarpiece was lit - a...

There is an information center at Mývatn called Mývatnsstofa. Here you can get detailed information the what there is to see and do in this area - countless of things as this is one of the most interesting areas in Iceland.And here one can buy tickets for the buses and sightseeing. And there are scheduled bus tours to Krafla and Dettifoss...

Between these unique formations are several hiking trails marked, each of which is indicated, posts by a separate color the walking times and the route At the beginning of this labyrinth very clearly marked and range from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours of walking, so you can choose your time and its pretty easy walk as you follow the route and the...

Near lake Myvatn have a lava cave called Grjotagja and was a popular bathing place in the past however, geological activity in the period water flows through the cave, by volcanic activity, the water temperature had risen above 50 degrees, which makes bathing impossible and dangerousYou will see the entrance several warnings for falling rocks and...

Something of a "Blue Lagoon lite", the Myvatn Nature Baths offers mineral-rich geothermal waters drawn from depths of up to 2500 meters facilities include a reception area and cafeteria, changing rooms and showers, three natural steam baths accommodating up to 50 bathers at a time, and a 5000m2 geothermal bathing pool maintained at a constant...

Krafla is a caldera of 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone. The highest peak of Krafla is 818 m. It contains one of two Víti craters in Iceland (the other one is in Askja, where you can actually have a bath in the water). This one is called Stóra-Víti and was formed in 1724. "Víti" is the Icelandic word for Hell as people often...

Krafla is a caldera of 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone. The highest peak of Krafla is 818 m. Krafla erupted 9 times from 1975-1984. The last eruption lasted for 2 weeks with a lava flow of 24 sq.km and lava fountains up to 70 meters high lit up the sky the first days of the eruption. Here is also Krafla geothormal power station. It...

Now this is a strange looking mountain. It looks like something you might encounter on the moon, as it were. It looks like a pile of black sand with a hole in the middle.Mt. Hverfjall means literally Hot spring mountain and is a tuff ring volcano, or a tephra crater. It erupted ca 2.500 years ago.It is possible to hike to and on the mountain. It is...

There is an interesting formation of lava pillars by Lake Mývatn almost next to Höfði (see my tip). Lake Mývatn is Iceland's 4th largest lake and was created in a basaltic lava eruption 2300 years ago and the surrounding landscape in the Mývatn area is extraordinary. There are so many wonderful lava formations in this area, including the lava...

I accidentally put this tip under things to do - but this is a warnings and dangers tip.There are many mud-pools and fumaroles in Iceland. Take care while visiting them as the sulphur fumes can overwhelm you at times there, especially when the wind is strong. Try to stay up wind as this can be toxic and can give you a bad headache and nausea. One...

The north of this park is closer to Husavik but the south, where Dettioss can be found is definitely closer to Myvatn.During winter the roads are not great and the F-roads (which you may or may not be allowed to travel on in a hire car - check your rental agreement) are closed anyway. There is a new road that has been or is being made - it is...

Well this is a sureal place, for sure! The steaming vents, pipes and strange little structures make Kroflusod appear like something from a mad professors laboratory! It reminded me of one of the levels in Sonic The Hedgehog!!!Winter is not the ideal time to come here. The snow was thick and, after the visitors centre (which was closed until June),...

Mÿvatn Restaurants

This is a very comfortable setting with good food.The restaurant is actually in a cow shed!!! There is a wall of glass between the restaurant and the cowshed - it is fun and really does not smell like you may think it could!!!It is not the cheapest place to eat and if you are vegetarian your menu is going to be VERY limited... but then again, if...

We were recommended the place by the tourist information and we went staright there. This is a farm with a cowshed to which they have added a restaurant. Fancy place....expensive but, good food...and different food. Service was great....and it was packed out. So try it. Everything in Myvatn is just 3-4 mins from each other...and this is one of...

Mÿvatn Local Customs

There is a special place in Mývatn where rye-bread is cooked in hot springs. It is located in "litla hitaholtið" or the small heated hill.A lot of locals cook their rye-bread here, some from a hidden receipt, which has been handed down from generation to generation. So both the heated hill and the recipes are a top-secret :)The bread is cooked in...

The Icelandic Yule lads in Myvatn!We stopped somewhere near Lake Myvatn to see the pseudocraters and at the side of the store, I did see a picture of Santa Claus-like men holding a lamp and pictured on the side of the shop wall. My guide was beside it, and I swear – if my guide grew his beard and hair, he would look like one of them. I actually...

Mÿvatn Warnings and Dangers

Mývatn gets its name from the "mý" or the midge/blackfly. It is literally everywhere and gets totally on one's nerve. The best thing is to keep one of your hands above your head, as they always go for the highest point, but there is a limit to for how long one can do that. I camped for one night at Mývatn, but I will stay inside for my next trip....

Leirhnjùkur and Krafla tinker is a must for people that visit Iceland and Myvatn.This is one of the most dangerous area of Iceland, but it is always full of tourists. If you wan't nave trouble follow the path and don't walk over the lava. By the way there is no problem, you can visit this wonderful place with tranquillity without danger. You must...

Mÿvatn Off The Beaten Path

Laxà River is situate to the west of Myvatn. It mean River of Salmin, infact this is one of the best river where you can fish salmon. There is only a problem: the licence is very expensive and you can buy it to Veidiheimilid fam adn Ferdapjònustan Elda farm.

The main factory in Myvatn is the geothermal factory to work of diatomite. Diatomite are small fossils (0.00005 % of the dimension of a grain of sand) and the depth of Myvath grow 1 mm every year. A ship take it from the depth and then it go to the factory when it is treatment with fire and smoke. Diatomite is use to male toothpaste, paints,...

Mÿvatn Favorites

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The Moss balls - Cladophora Segagropila or Aegagropila linnaei, which we call in Icelandic "kúluskítur", can only be found in Mývatn, North-Iceland and in Lake Akan in Hokkaido in Japan. I have heard that it has been found in Estonia as well but Mývatn and Lake Akan are the only places where the Moss ball is common. It is so amazing that it can only be found in these countries.

The Moss ball is an algae which grows into big velvety balls and lives at ca 2 meters' dept here in Lake Mývatn and they just roll around there at the bottom of the lake at 3 meters' depth when it is windy. It has been there since the lake got "formed" 2300 years ago, remnants of it has been found since that time.

The Moss ball is now preserved, both in Iceland and Japan. In Japan they even have a festival in honour of the Moss ball.

When David Attenborough visited Iceland he was given Moss balls as a gift and he still keeps it at home. It can be kept in tap water and the water has to be changed ca every 1-2 weeks. Photosynthesis occurs even when the Moss balls are kept at home. See my picture for how to keep them in your home. I took this picture at our annual "Festival of the Sea".

All in all it looks cute, although the farmers at Mývatn didn't consider it to be at all cute when it got stuck in their nets, therefore the name "kúlúskítur" which means ball-sh...

In 2014 we noticed that the Moss ball had disappeared from Mývatn - likely because of a too many tourists visiting this popular area. The septic tanks cannot deal with so many visitors. The bacteria in the lake blocks out the sunlight so the Moss balls cannot thrive there any more.

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Top Mÿvatn Writers

Now this area in Iceland is absolutely amazing and should not be missed while visiting the country. The Mývatn area is called Mývatnssveit, but we Icelanders always refer to it as going to Mývatn.
In...

The landscapes around lake Mývatn are exceptionally diverse, beautiful and bizarre. The area has highly active geothermal hotspots with smelly, steamy and bubbly mudpools. Old craters are adjacent to...